Six weeks for Mount Whitney

Within six weeks I start walking north along the path John Muir. The preparation time has been flying and I am starting to feel anxious in case my 67 -year -old body will take me to the top of Mount Whitney 38 years after I send it for the first time.

We can always train more, eat less and investigate more, but with all seriousness I feel pretty good with my possibilities. Here are some outstanding aspects of my trail preparation so far:

My Bearicade contains all the required stickers.

Report by Mule package

Probably, the most unusual and interesting part of the refueling strategy of this path is that I will be refrained by Mule Pack near Kearsarge Pass, instead of having to take a two -day detour from the city of Independence (or take ten days of food in my backpack).

At first I thought that the Pack-Mule option would be prohibitively expensive, but thanks to the JMT’s excellent Facebook pages Directed by the veteran of JMT Inga Aksamit, I was able to connect with other hikers who leave Nema (north -direction) the same day as me and who were also interested in the replenishment of the mule. By combining our efforts, we were able to keep our costs less than $ 200 each. That seems a lot, but it is still less expensive in money and time than to remove a zero path.

Our mule supplier is Kings of Kings of SeciaAnd it is clear that they have been in business for a long time and have this to a science. The owner Dee Berner told me that he has been doing this for fifty years!

Report by paint cube

While the Mule Mule and Red piss Allow you to send your refueling in paper boxes, to deter creatures Muir Trail Ranch It requires that you send your refueling in plastic paint cubes, such as those you see in Home Depot. MTR is another place of expensive refueling: they charge $ 95, but the price is understandable considering that they have to wear mules to carry their precious clif and ranch bars to the ranch.

Shakedown backpack trips

So far I have made two Shakedown backpacks, the most recent inside the Wildness of the Lost Creek Wilderness of Denver. The backpack and the dream for two nights to almost 12,000 feet was a good proof of my altitude acclimatization, as well as my team and my physical state.

There is no better place to make a Shakedown than the Dastrek desert

I will do two more backpackers at great altitude during the nights in July and several walks more than one day. But I know that nothing will prepare me completely for high altitudes and difficult elevation gains of the JMT. I will only have to remember the rhythm and be ready to make adjustments depending on the weather and my physical skills.

New Team: Impressions of my new stove, Sleep pad inflator, bear boat, trekking and backpack shoes

While my DURSTON TURKUWA 55 Backpack It is not exactly new, I have not yet used it in so many days. So far I am extremely impressed with its characteristics and comfort.

Try my combination of DURSTON/VAUCLUSE backpack. Look all those tones of gray!

A new wrinkle is that I am testing the Vauclusa backpack ventilation system: A plastic panel that offers fantastic ventilation between its package and its back. It is a bit strange, but it seems comfortable and the amount of ventilation it provides is unique. I will continue testing it, but so far I think it is worth the 3.5 additional ounces. I feel renewed for not having a soaked and sweaty back.

My stove system is also new, and I am very impressed with it even though it is approximately 2 ounces heavier than my old system. Now I’m using a Firema stove and heat exchanger Combo I love how the pot has slots in the heat exchanger that allow the pot to rest safely on the stove, minimizing heat loss and maximize stability.

The Firemamaple stove is light and includes an ignition button. I love how it screws on the fuel boat without a fuel whistle to escape, and how it lights immediately without having to play with a lighter.

Another new article that I carry is a ridiculously lightweight weight, and blessed very quiet, Alpenblow Sleeping Pad Inflator By Alpenglow Gear. I usually wear my extra clothes in a more termatic inflation bag, but I needed to change to a compression sack for my sleeping bag and my clothes so that everything fits in my backpack, so I have changed the inflation bag for this well -designed inflator. Other inflators are faster, but they are also much stronger; Basically, this emits a very soft whistle that can hardly be heard outside your store.

Another new team that I will use are my Altra Lone Peak 9+ Trekking Shoes: The updated version of the solitary peak with a Vibram sole and a more robust fabric. Basically I live in solitary peaks at home, with approximately 8 pairs of circulation at any given time, so I am very familiar with the general model. I am very happy that the new 9+ model adjusts to Old Lone Peak, but is more resistant. Vibram’s sole is a great improvement in an already excellent shoe.

(Maybe I am softer with my team, but I have not had problems with my prematurely worn solitary peaks, since other hikers have complained. It could help, due to plantar fasciitis, I always replace the Superfeet blue templates with the standard fin of Altra).

Finally, I’m getting used to backpackers with a bear boat. As a concession of my age and knees, I decided to waste and buy a Weekender Bearicade Carbon Boot. It is easier to open than the Bearvault and weighs much less. I have already enjoyed sitting in the camp.

Another team is still the same as my previous walks: Black Diamond Flz Carbon Z Trekking BoleMy beloved DURSTON X-MID Pro 2 storeAnd my warm Enigma 20 Conredón team. My pants and shirts are an outdoor investigation and I have a very light and comfortable weight Alfa 90 layers of fleece of all brands-eddie bauer.

Online planning aids

I can’t imagine how it was to walk through JMT and other long paths before online navigation, social networks and the Internet. The amount of information that is available now is simply amazing. The author of the definitive guide JMT, Elizabeth Wenk, has even written a Nobo’s specific version of your guide that is available in Kindle.

He Lightterpack website It is a gift from heaven to create gear lists with specific weights for your entire team. Those ounces are added in pounds!

I still have a lot to do: pack and send my meals. I love creating my own meals with the help of Backcountryfoodie – And I have to make sure that I have all my downloaded and printed maps. Impression of my paths of trails and California fire permit – I need even if you are only using a stove. Making sure that my Garmin Inreach is working and that I have it established to be able to send text messages to and from my wife for a month without breaking the bank. Make sure my Sawyer system and the Bidet system are working. Download the latest comments from paths Ferout.

Unhorate me in my next Shakedown walks! When I am not preparing for the JMT, I am already starting to transfer the hikers at the beginning of the Colorado path, and I am looking forward to doing some magic of paths in the CT too. Last year we had 44 hikers and cyclists on a day of trail magic! The backpacking season has begun!

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